CONCORD, N.C. — World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series driver Aaron Reutzel has been suspended by the sanctioning body for an attempt to circumvent the sanctioning body’s inspection process.
Reutzel ranks seventh in the series’ standings with four victories this season. He has been fined $10,000 and suspended for 30 days.
According to a statement released by World of Outlaws officials on Wednesday night, Reutzel’s Roth Motorsports’ race car was discovered during inspection Saturday night at Weedsport Speedway to have “suspicious peculiarities with the chassis paint, and that the chassis inspection sticker appeared to have been tampered with.”
When confronted with these observations, Reutzel admitted to WoO Technical Director Tom Devitt and World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Director Carlton Reimers he had taken a white chassis, which he knew had been previously disallowed for competition by Devitt due to undersized tubing (Chapter 3, Section 5, U), painted it black and then removed an inspection sticker from a different legal chassis and placed it on the chassis in question.
The WoO statement said, Reutzel’s actions were an effort to violate World of Outlaws rules, including:
• 2021 Sprint Series Rule Book, Chapter 1, Section 7, P: Any member and/or participant that violates any technical rule as presented within the rulebook and/or issued in a written bulletin will be subject to penalty and/or disqualification and/or fine and/or suspension and/or legal action and/or any other action deemed appropriate by World Racing Group Supervisory Officials.• 2021 Sprint Series Rule Book, Chapter 1 Section 4, A, a: All Members agree to act in a professional manner as determined by World Racing Group Officials. The professional manner includes, but is not limited to verbal representation, social media, text messages, written representation, any representation that may represent the sport of racing and/or motorsports in general and/or any affiliates.
• 2021 Sprint Series Rule Book, Chapter 3, Section 5, U: The following frame measurements are minimum dimensions. Only those areas indicated are mandatory and subject to technical inspections. In lieu of the “BUTT” BAR a car’s rear end can be tethered to the rear chassis. Only ASTM4130 normalized steel or equivalent material may be used in the chassis/frame construction. See drawing 16.5.a.s.
“It is an unfortunate situation Aaron Reutzel created for everyone involved,” World of Outlaws CEO Brian Carter said. “The severity of the penalty was weighed heavily and reflects the seriousness with which we considered the violations and infractions.”
Reutzel must pay the $10,000 fine by Aug. 28 or he will be subject to additional penalties. Reutzel also will be deducted 1,000 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series 2021 Championship Driver Points. Furthermore, Roth Motorsports has been fined $10,000 and deducted 500 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series Championship Owner Points.
Roth Motorsports is not suspended from competition, but the fine must be paid prior to participating in the next event. Reutzel and Roth Motorsports will be on probation for the remainder of the World of Outlaws racing season and the entire 2022 World of Outlaws racing season. Any subsequent violations will result in enhanced penalties/fines.
The chassis in question is a XXX. Mark Badock, who owns XXX Chassis, offered the following clarifications regarding the car in question.
“This was a 2011 chassis that was legal when built. It was not a custom chassis built for Aaron that was not legal,” Badock told SPEED SPORT by email. “That particular chassis has passed WoO tech five times. Over the last 10 years, it has been sand-blasted and re-powdercoated multiple times, thus thinning the tubing each time.”
Parker Price-Miller will drive the No. 83 this weekend at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo.